Footwear

[Sugar-Sweet]

i tried converse and i broke them :/
got the shiney ones and there a bit bulky but they do the job for me so i'm happy for now, untill i brake those lol

[meium]

Has anyone tried the school sandals with orthotic heels built in? I'm very tempted to buy them but they are only available to buy online and I don't have the best track record of buying shoes from the net. I have only been wearing my orthotics for 4 months or so and the difference that it has made to my back is unbelievable so I don't want to lose that benefit over the summer.

I quite like the look of these in black.

http://www.scholl.com/en-GB/Orthaheel-M ... il.raction

[laracomps]

I've never gotten on with anything off the shelf unfortunately, because my over pronation and collapsing of my feet are too severe so I've bought sandals (walking type) that have removable insoles in, so I can put my own orthotics in

[meium]

Do you mind me asking where you got them from?

I do have some walking sandals but I have never thought about taking the insoles out. I don't think it can be done though thinking about them.

I'm really looking for some smarter shoes for work but it's proving a bit tricky.

[laracomps]

No of course not,. My sandles are made by 'hotter' and I actually found them in TK Maxx. They are very similar to these but they are lilac and I only paid about £17 for them

Clarks do quite a few shoes with removeable insoles (my mental health care co-ordinator has orthotics too so she gave me some handy tips!) mainly the 'unstructured' range she said. But I found these ones , not to everyone's bag, and to be honest not what I would normally wear but falling with my daughter last year made me wise up to the severity of my problems.

So I now have black K Swiss trainers (didn't realise they had removeable insoles when i bought them a few yeras back, also from tk maxx) for day to day wear, the bronze clarks/kays mary janes I linked to above, and my hotter sandals for summer, ooh and how could I forget my trusty metallic purple DM's for the winter?!. I have to have my shoes altered to have lateral heel wedges too so I have to think about that when choosing shoes too, doesn't make it easy I tell you.

I'm sure some others can advise you some more too, Nemonie is pretty good with knowing brands of shoes etc that are good for orthotics

[meium]

Thanks, I hadn't thought of looking in TK Maxx for shoes I'm popping into town tomorrow so I'll have a look there.

[niccysearle]

I have just purchased a pair of shoes from Clarks Unstructured range, as also recommended by laracomps!! I am due to get new ankle braces soon which will mean that hopefully I can come out of my boots. However I have been searching for months and was unable to find shoes that would accommodate both my braces and custom-made insoles......until Friday when I found these amazing shoes!! The ones I got are called Fine Fair and they come in black, red and silver-they are awesome!! Would definitely recommend them!!

[sueiz]

They look great for me for work, and for my daughter for school shoes - one question tho; are the soles solid, or flexible? I have to wear insoles too, but need solid soles that don't flex, like a walking boot or good running shoes.

[niccysearle]

Sueiz, the soles are kinda in the middle I guess......they are not flimsy and very bendy like a lot of the cheaper shoes, but they have a little bit of flexibility. I am currently wearing them round the house in preparation for their first outing this coming Saturday-having lived in boots for the last 8 months or so they feel like a breath of fresh air to me!!! Just gotta save up so can get the red ones too.....now I have found a pair of shoes that can accommodate my big fat insoles & my ankle braces & my feet I think I will get a few pairs!!

Laracomps, thanks for the tip with the Hotter sandals that have removable insoles....I hadn't seen those but they look awesome to someone who loves sandals and thought might never be able to wear them again!!

I find it amazing that so many of us blatantly have major issues getting shoes to fit with our various orthotics.......what a huge gap in the market this seems to be!!

[bonniek]

I was fitted with orthopedic insoles about two months ago and now find that I cannot go without them without experiencing severe pain in my feet. I was so disappointed thinking that I could no longer wear my beloved flipflops in warmer weather when I came across Orthaheels (created by an Australian podiatrist). Although very expensive (I paid about $80 CAN), I immediately ordered a pair through the Shopping Channel (Canada), knowing that I could easily return them if they didn't work for me. From what I understand Sears USA also carries them and will ship to Canada. I have now had them for several weeks and am very happy with them. The company claims that they fit 70% of people with orthotic needs. I have had to learn that if I want comfortable shoes I am going to have to pay for them and reduce the # of pairs I own. I still have to wrap my ankles from time to time so that I can wear the Orthaheels, but at least I can now go barefoot again.

The other pair of shoes I recently purchased are a dress shoe. Although I can't wear heels for very long, at least I can wear these long enough to feel pretty in a dress for a special event for a little while. They are made by a company called Helle Comfort. The orthotic is built into the shoe. The shoes are absolutely georgous, made with Italian or Spanish leather and are made with the highest arch support I have yet to find in a dress shoe and adjustable straps for a customizable fit around the foot. Some have a removable footbed so that you can put in your own orthotic. I paid about $180 CAN in a retail store, but I see they are cheaper at Amazon.com . Worth a try! (http://www.amazon.com/Helle-Comfort-Wom ... 45&sr=1-17)

[niccysearle]

I have just bought a pair of Vista walking sandals from Hotter.....they are not the trendiest sandals in the world but they come in different colours and are very comfy.
I have had to do a Blue Peter job on them-as the insoles come out (they are velcroed on) I velcroed my orthotic insoles into the base, then the shoe insole on top of that. The only thing is that my orthotics have a built up heel which I can't stick down, but they are blue like the sandal, and the weight of me pushes them down enough to sit in place! I still have to wear ankle supports so prob will only wear them with long trousers.....unless I get very brave, but it feels so lovely to have my toes out for the first time since last summer!! Feels odd though, and I did notice this morning I was walking slower as I felt a bit nervous incase I "went over".....but so far.......!!

[samiluu]

This topic is really helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Before all my hypermobility stuff flared up I used to live in heels and have loooads of pretty pairs. Now I feel like I'm stuck in trainers or running shoes all the time and especially since the hot weather has arrived it's making me pretty miserable.

Thanks for all the info, now I save my pennies and buy some cool shoes that I can pop my insoles in. My podiatrist reckons I can get back in heels if I continue with physio as I can move on to insoles that are shorter and fit in heeled shoes.

I have some of the Reebok Easytone shoes in black so I wear them to work at the moment. My podiatrist says they can be good as they aim to de-stabilise your feet so help build muscle to strengthen, although don't wear them with insoles.

x

[shen]

My lovely nike rifts have kind of given up the ghost, after a while they get really really stinky and not even washing them can get rid of it. I found on sale in JD sports so of the reebok easytone trainers i wasnt convinced they were going to e comfy, ut i tried them on and wow they are like walking on air. I'm not sure how they may fair for my ankles, but maybe they will help them build up som strength, also in my glutes, which my physio says are quite weak. but besides all that they are really comfy and cushion my feet when i walk.

Edit: Had them about a week now, they are really comfy, but never start of wearign them all day or just pain!! But i've built them up over the last week and i can feel my muscles working more, they are very comfy with the cushioned pads. At first the balls of my feet burned after a little while, but that was because i had them tied too tight... I would reccommend being careful with them though and definitely building them up slowly, wearing them around the house first and stuff.

[longtallgal95]

Hi. This is probably a bit basic but I would like to recommend Wider Fit Shoes to people who have foot pain and slightly wobbly ankles.

http://www.widerfitshoes.co.uk/index.php

They make wider shoes and also a deep toe box so they take my orthotics too. I have had pain in my feet for very many years, since I was young. Now I have next to no pain at all as my feet can spread better and the shoes are so comfortable, I particularly like the Track boots as they are light and support my wobbly ankles! Just a thought.

[paw]

Shen, I know your last post was months ago. I just saw it today though. There are a few things you can do to prevent or deal with stinky shoes. Leather shoes or cloth shoes are better for your skin than vinyl or man made shoes. (I am guessing Nike is leather) If your feet sweat excessively you can use antiperspirant on the bottom of your feet. Some people get Botox in their feet. I wouldn't want it myself, injections in the bottom of the foot are very painful. Wear those little cotton socks that are cut low and they don't even show at the ankle. You can also get a special fabric for runners and that absorbs sweat and that reduces the rubbing and damage to your skin as well as the inside of your shoes. The fabric seems to last forever. I have had the same socks for years.

Doctors advise that you have a couple pair of shoes and that you don't wear the same one two days in a row. Let the shoes air out completely before wearing them again. You can spray the inside of the shoes with Lysol (Dettol) before airing them out and that kills some of the bacteria. Wearing socks is the biggest thing you can do to help with foot odour. The foot surgeon I worked for gave this speech so many times I still remember it years later.

I agree with Longtallgal that wider shoes are better if you wear any type of an arch support or orthotic.